Lynley Mysteries: Khanda
by Jumaolster
Summary: Barbara gets into trouble :-
1. Chapter 1

Note: No one is mine

Note: No one is mine... Borrowing some from Judge John Deed... and some from Lynley…… and some others…… 

**Khanda**

Oh, good Lord. She'd really done it this time.

BLOODY HELL, what a mess...

Barbara Havers closed her eyes and leaned her head on the steering wheel of her car. Maybe if she didn't look at it, it would go away. But sure enough, when she opened her eyes, it was still there.

A very common looking white box, the kind paper is stored in. Over it, carelessly thrown, Barbara's blue coat.

Suddenly the coat started moving and she could hear it scrape its paws against the side of the box. She heard a small pathetic whining sound, like someone was too afraid to bark out loud.

That sprung Barbara into action. She needed to get out of there, and fast!

Miraculously, her car started at once. She sometimes felt like she was followed around by a higher force which made her car break down at the most inconvenient times, but since she'd finally had it serviced and taken care of, her little mini had been the picture of health. The mechanic had offered to buy it, paying her in cash, or with another used vehicle in excellent condition. She'd been stunned, not imagining that the mini was worth much. She loved her car; it felt like a member of her family, and it was her one and only. Still, she'd promised to think about it.

Barbara knew she needed Lynley's help. Only he could get her out of this mess. She knew she really wanted his help, too...

She'd contemplated going to Hillier, or even to ask Stewart for help, but had decided against it. Stewart was bound by his case, and Hillier was too much of a political animal. What if he decided to do the wrong thing?

Before she knew it, she'd manoeuvred the car out of the Met parking, and was on her way. As soon as she was out of prying cctv-eyes, she uncovered the box, and started smiling.

She looked down at a brown, black and white beagle puppy.


	2. Chapter 2

The beagle puppy she had just stolen right from the Met. An important piece of evidence against the eco warriors Stewart had just arrested.

Barbara had heard one of the young women scream at Stewart, about how "they" would kill the dog if he was returned to "them". Curious about all the commotion and sick and tired of report writing, Barbara had gone too see what was going on.

Now she just hoped that no one had noticed her. She was nearly sure. She'd listened to the heated conversation, and had stayed in the background.

The eco warriors had been arrested by Stewart over a plot to sabotage the new Terminal 5's luggage handling systems, and during the arrest, the police had also found the beagle puppy. A quick check of the electronic chip had resulted in a call to one of Britain's biggest pharmaceutical companies, who'd had a delivery of puppies stolen two nights before. They would be thrilled to have their stolen property back, thank you very much.

When Beryl, the young woman, had realised the puppy was about to be sent back to its previous owner, she'd gone ballistic, kicking and screaming. In the end, Stewart had managed to sit her down in one of the interrogation rooms, and with the help of a WPC, the girl had calmed down.

Barbara had a big lump in her throat by then. Selected parts came back to her mind:

"They'll kill him! He'll be used for experiments if they don't! He's only a puppy!!"

But it had been Stewart's answer that had tipped Barbara over to the side of crime:

Stewart, always the picture of insensivity had barked:  
"So? We all take medicines, don't we?"

This was true for most people. Her little brother had been given medicines that surely had been tested on animals. Her mum's medication, as well... However Barbara had always felt that there must be another way of doing the testing. She didn't know much about it, though.

Barbara had been very careful after her demotion and subsequent re-promotion not to get herself into any trouble.

But that stupid little dog just got to her. Stewart had bound him to the chair at his desk while escorting Beryl away, and now the puppy was tugging at the leash. Barbara didn't want him in the hands of anyone but herself...

Barbara had realised that no one was looking her way, everyone was occupied with the eco warriors and buzzing telephones.

Three short steps towards Stewart's desk.

One little movement and the leash was in her hand.

Three short steps towards the corridor with the puppy following her.

Two more steps over the corridor into the ladies' loo, which thankfully was empty.

That made 8 steps right into a sea of trouble..,...


	3. Chapter 3

She'd hidden the dog in the loo, run back to get her coat and handbag and to advice Winnie she was leaving, mumbling something about her mum. Back to the loo, grabbing the empty paper box on her way.

After having hidden the puppy in the box under her coat, begging him to be a good baby, she had made a very hasty exit for the garage and her car.

However, driving towards home, her adrenalin rush was wearing off. She blew one rebellious strand of red hair out of her face, and took some deep breaths. She had the nagging feeling she'd forgotten something important...

Stealing? Accepting a stolen puppy? Tampering with evidence? Perverting the course of justice?

All sorts of thought swirled through her mind. When she got closer to home, she realised she'd need to get some dog food. She steered her car towards Mr Singh's corner shop, he'd help her.

She turned to look at the dog, which was now happy chewing on her coat sleeve. He must really be hungry, Barbara thought:

"Hey, matey, I'm getting you some food, all right? We'll be fine, I promise! We'll go to Mr. Singh's and get something to eat and maybe a toy for you, and then we'll go home and call Lynley, all right?"

The dog barked happily at her, now assaulting the brim of the paper box. All in all, he was a good baby, Barbara thought, he hadn't peed anywhere in her car or anything.

She thanked her lucky star when she found a parking space just in front of Mr. Singh's corner shop, grabbed the puppy and climbed out of her car.

"Oh, what a beautiful puppy!!" Mr. Singh greeted her enthusiastically.

"Yes, I just got him, " Barbara blushed at telling the lie. Mr. Singh had helped her more than once during those long months of her suspension, brightening her day with little free samples of soap or new flavours of yoghurt. Silly little presents, but amazingly heart-warming.

"What's your name then, little fellow?" Mr Singh's soft Indian sing-song accent was a joy to listen too.

"I haven't decided yet. What do you think? What's dog in Punjabi, Mr Singh? That way I'd call him after you, wouldn't I?"

Mr Singh had a soft spot in his heart for Barbara. He beamed at her:

"Khanda means small dog! Khanda, come here Khanda!"

As on cue, Khanda barked.

20 minutes later Barbara and Khanda exited the shop with some things for the dog, some things for Barbara and a new sense of calm.

They then arrived home safely and Barbara settled Khanda into the box again while she called Lynley:

" Hey, Guv? It's Barbara?"

"Well then, what can I do for you then, on my rest day?"


	4. Chapter 4

Lynley had been back at the Met for 4 months now, and sounded nearly like before Helen's death.

"I'm in trouble, Sir, like big trouble and don't you get yelling at me before I can tell you everything!"

She knew him all to well, and his temper as well. She could hear Lynley take a deep breath.

" Well, then, Barbara, what can I do for you?"

Barbara. That was a good sign. He wasn't too furious yet. "What can I do for you" on the other hand, was no good at all...

Confused about the messages she was receiving, Barbara continued:

"I just nicked a puppy, Sir, which was about to be returned to a pharmaceutical company, and is part of the evidence against some eco terrorists, see? And he's just a puppy, see, Sir, and I didn't want any harm done to him. And now I've bought some toys for him as well..."

Barbara was breathless and sounded very upset.

"Aah, well, I see. Are you at home? I can be there in 15 minutes?"

"Yes, Sir, thank you!!"

Barbara hung up and then it came to her:

That was easy, she thought, waaaaaay too easy.

A little nagging voice at the back of her head told her something was wrong. Seriously wrong, Lynley should have been yelling at her. Why wasn't he? But she pushed the thought way back in her head, not to worry--

She poured herself a small glass of white wine and was slowly sipping it while playing with Khanda, when the relaxation made her brain kick in.

THE CCTV.


	5. Chapter 5

There where cctv cameras in most parts if the Met, they must have filmed her. Oh good Lord... what now? She'd hoped Lynley would be able to get her out of this somehow...

At that thought, she heard a loud knock on the door:

"Barbara, it's me!" Lynley had arrived.

Barbara opened the door to let Lynley in. She lifted the puppy up from the floor and kissed it, promptly being kissed back by Khanda. They were getting along great already; there was no way she would give him back to any pharmaceutical company.

"This is Khanda, Sir. It's a he... And I won't give him back!"

Lynley could see she had her hackles up. This was not going to be easy. That dog was damned cute. He decided to take a direct approach.

"Barbara, I've been contacted by Stewart already. When the dog disappeared, he checked the cctv tapes and saw you absconding with the puppy. He called me just a couple of minutes before you did.

If we get the dog back to the Met right away, no one will ever now. Except of course Stewart, but he's promised he won't say anything. Come with me now, I'll drive you!"

He started walking towards the door. Maybe Barbara would see reason and come willingly.

No such luck however. When she didn't move he turned around and looked at her. She was standing here, staring at him, clutching the puppy to her chest. Lynley felt a sinking feeling in his stomach... He knew he wouldn't be able to force her into giving Khanda up.

Barbara shook her head:

"No. The pharmaceutical company said they wanted him back; I won't give him back to them. No way! How can you even suggest I do that?"

"Barbara, it's not your dog. I don't like it any more than you do, but please be reasonable!"

"NO!" Barbara was very upset by now and was breathing through her nose. The puppy felt the tension in the air and started whining.

Lynley sat down, breathing heavily. That silly whining sound cut right through his heart. Then he made a decision. He took his mobile out and dialled a number.

"Sir, it's Lynley. I have a bit of a situation here?"

Barbara interrupted:

"Who're you calling? What are you doing?"

"Barbara, I'm trying to help you here!" Lynley raised his voice. His temper was slowly beginning to flare.

Then he heard Hillier's dry voice from the other end of the phone:

"I've already heard over the grapevine that Havers stole a dog today. If both of you would like to come into the office, we'll see what we can do. I expect you to be here in 20 minutes." Hillier hung up.


	6. Chapter 6

"Barbara, Hillier knows already. It's impossible to keep a secret at the Met, and someone's spilled the beans... Probably the security guard who checked the tapes. Hillier wants us in his office in 20 minutes. He didn't sound too angry, maybe there is hope yet. Come with me now?" He sounded tired. All this emotion was draining him. To his great surprise, Barbara suddenly nodded at him.

She must have understood that there was no way around this.

"But I'm not giving the dog back!" She grabbed her coat; put Khanda back into the box, and all three headed towards Lynley's new Bentley. Within 20 minutes they where sitting in Hillier's office.

Hillier was really tired of Barbara. How could that woman always get herself into trouble? Never sticking to the rules? Have such a temper? On the other hand that dog was cute, he could see that.

His children had been pestering him for a dog forever, but so far he'd always said no. However, his youngest son's birthday was coming up, and he saw the brilliant opportunity to combine a birthday present with some really cool politics and good will feeling.

Plus if Barbara would be indebted to him... hmmmmmmmm. Not bad at all.

The second Stewart had been to see him, he'd called an old acquaintance of his, currently working for said pharmaceutical company. It took some convincing, but then they had apparently realised that it might not be a good idea to force back a cute puppy for the purposes they had in mind for it, and had agreed to give the dog up. They did not want any negative piblicity. He hadn't been into contact with any of the other animals, only with the other stolen puppies before reaching their destination, and there was no risk of contamination of any sort. They had insisted on him being discreet though, no publicity wanted.

Now all he needed to do was to get Barbara Havers to turn the dog over to him. His mind was set to get his son the puppy for his birtday.

This would not be easy, since Barbara more or less considered him Mr. Evil and Corrupt in person. He'd resisted the temptation to make her and Lynley squirm in their seat, and as soon as they'd sat down he said:

"You've caused a huge mess here, Sergeant, and I will reprimand you later, but I've found a solution for you: My children have been asking me for a pet, and I've spoken to an acquaintance of mine at X Company: they're willing to let the dog go. I'll let my children adopt the puppy, if we can all agree to be discreet about it.."

He looked at her expectantly.

However before Barbara could even open her mouth to protest, Lynley cut in:

"It's a good idea, Barbara. Beagles and not really flat dogs, they're more like hunting dogs. They need loads of company, attention and movement. Your house is tiny, and although you have a symbolic garden, it's not enough. I personally think dogs should be treated as small children, that is not being left alone all day long.

You know how our working hours are. Azhar could help you, I guess, but he's away all day and so is Hadi. Then there is the cost of having a dog. Vet bills, food, insurance, extras...

You've already got two big financial commitments at the moment, you mum's care and your mortgage. You'll need a new car sooner or later. I'd have taken him, but Denton in allergic to fur. Hillier has a big house with a huge, secluded garden, his wife is currently working from home, and his children are at home from early afternoon on."

He paused, exhausted. He just hoped she'd see his point. He'd been silently rehearsing his speech all the way over. Maybe reason, together with the threat of having Hillier right in front of them, would do the trick.

Barbara just started at him. She was now holding Khanda to her shoulder, and he was licking her face. She looked at him.

She knew Lynley was right, and she nearly hated him for it. A dog was a huge commitment, with her financial situation and her working hours, and so on in eternity.


	7. Chapter 7

Without speaking she directed her eyes to Hillier. He could see a storm of emotions pass by, but what struck him most was how vulnerable she looked. He'd forgotten about her mum, and he knew she'd already fallen in love with the puppy.

Hillier took a deep breath:

"Come now, Havers. I'm making you a very good offer here. I know we don't see eye to eye very often, but Lynley's made an excellent case, hasn't he? Please trust me when I tell you that the dog will be taken care of by some very loving children."

He caught himself and stopped before he ruined it by saying too much. Barbara sighed:

"All right, Sir. You promise to take good care of him? His name is Khanda..."

Then she choked a bit on her words, and was quiet. When things had quieted down a bit, she resolved to go and see Beryl to tell her the dog was in good hands. She stood up and said:

"Hey, Khanda, this is Sir Hillier, you'll go and stay with him all right? Be good now..."

Khanda looked up at her and made that ridiculous whining sound, and she nearly changed her mind.

Hillier reacted immediately:

"Yes, little fellow, I have some children and a garden waiting for you, how about it?"

He took Khanda into his lap, hoping dearly the dog wouldn't have an accident on his pants, and saw Barbara retreat. Hillier had secretly decided to let the matter of her reprimand drop into oblivion...

Lynley seized the moment:

"I think it's best if we leave right away. Sir Hillier will want to go home with the dog, and I'll take you out to dinner!" With that he resolutely stood up, ushering Barbara out with him, dragged her to the elevator before she could change her mind and within 2 minutes they where sitting in his car.

Barbara looked a bit shell shocked. He roared the Bentley out the parking as fast as he could, and headed towards one of their favourite pubs, The Macbeth Public House, he said:

"I know. It hurts. But you did the right thing."

Barbara's eyes where all red around the edges and shiny with tears. She nodded, but didn't speak. As the matter of fact she didn't say anything until they where well into a pint each of beer:

"He'd have been great company, Sir. Sometimes I'm just so lonely."

Lynley nodded. He too, was lonely, since Helen's death. He'd recently been out on a date (keeping it a secret from Barbara) but he'd felt completely out of place. He'd hated it. Ironically, he thought, he was having a much better time right now, being sad with Barbara, than conversing eloquently with that very elegant woman Judith had set him up with.

Suddenly he leaned forward, and stroked a strand of Barbara's hair out of her face. She looked startled, at first, but then, realising the intimacy and love in the gesture, smiled at him shyly. He smiled back.

Maybe there was no need for being so lonely...

THE END


End file.
